Dentifrice dispenser



July 20, 1 954 P. J. WERNER DENTIFRICE DISPENSER Filed March 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l will 25 ENTOR.

7%? Zery e r/zer July 20, 1954 P. J. WERNER ,684,183

DENTIFRICE DISPENSER Filed March 29, 1952 Fefer f%mer 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 20, 1954 UNITED STATES EATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to dentifrice dispenser and has for a broad object the provision of such a device which may be used by several persons to dispense the familiar dental cream or paste without the annoyance of removing and rep1acing the conventional tube cap, and without the unsanitary hazards present from having several persons in the same family using the same tube of paste.

It is well known that the familiar collapsible tube cap is easily dropped and lost, is sometimes difiicult to apply to the threaded neck of the tube, and that persons frequently fail to replace the cap after use, with resulting hardening of the paste remaining in the tube Where several persons of the same family use the same tube, the unsanitary aspect of having each of them scrape the neck of the tube with his own brush bristles, to cut oil a desired portion of the tooth paste ribbon has presented serious health hazards. Use by small children not only increases such hazards, but results in use of excessive quantities of paste.

The present invention has as an object the provision of a dispensing device, which will deliver a substantially predetermined and uniform quantity of tooth paste at each successive use, and will automatically close the tooth paste outlet after each use.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device which will substantially reduce or eliminate the health hazards of the presently known tubes and their conventional manner of use by many persons.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a combination of such a dispenser and a large non-collapsible cylindrical container of tooth paste, with resulting economy in purchase and use of tooth paste; the container may be made cheaply from various plastic materials, which are not aiiected by moisture or the contents oi the container, and may be discarded when contents have been exhausted.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a dispenser which may be attached to the wall in convenient location for ready use without opening a drawer or cabinet door to obtain the tooth paste.

Another object of the invention is the pro vision of novel means by which the tooth paste may be dispensed onto the bristles of the tooth brush by the simple pressure of the end of the brush against an actuating member, and a pre determined ribbon of cream will be cut off and so dispensed without having the bristles touch the outlet mouth of the container.

A further object of the invention is the provision or such a dispensing device with individual actuating means for each of several persons using the dispenser, so that any bacteria from the brush of one person will not contaminate the brush of another in obtaining paste from a common source.

Other and more detailed objects of this invention will become apparent as this description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding reference characters denote similiar parts, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my dispenser mounted in position on a wall, and with the door of the dispenser in opened position,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, with parts broken away, and taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of my device attached to a wall, and having the closure door in closed position.

Fig. 4 is a detail View, with parts broken away, and taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation view, with parts broken away, and taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in section and partly in elevation and generally similar to Fig. 2, showing a modified form of construction, including individual actuating means for each of several persons.

Fig. '7 is a detail view taken substantially on the line 7-1 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, my device includes an elongated cylindrical housing H having a hinged door D and an oiiset, laterally extending enlargement at its base from which depends a bracket foot F which is slidably received in a retaining slot of a wall bracket 3 attached to a Wall W.

Generally, housing H comprises a cylindrical side wall ill open at its front, to which door D is hinged, a base H unitarily joined to wall it, and a covering cap i2 which may be secured to the side wall by any suitable means. Immediately below the cap 12 is a spring receiving chamber, for a coil spring l3 carried by a plate M from which depends an annular boss i5 which is threaded internally to cooperate with the external threads on a rotatable shaft l6. Extending from plate !4, is a lug l'l s'lidably received in a guide slot H! in the inner face of wall It, to prevent rotation of plate 14 when shaft to is rotated.

Shaft 16 has stop collar 19 secured thereto and received rotatably in a recess of cap 12 to prevent vertical movement of shaft IS in either direction. The lower end of shaft l6 carries a stop collar 29 to limit downward movement of the plate I l and boss l when shaft 16 is rotated by a circular disk I2, having a manipulating fingerengaging stud 22, to move the plate 54 downwardly to increase the compression upon the expansion coil spring I3 surrounding the shaft i5.

Received in the chamber below the spring is is a disposable, cylindrical container 23, having slidable piston head 24 with a guide sleeve which forms a circular seat for the lower end of spring E3. The lower end of container 23 carries a rectangularly shaped outlet nipple 26 which extends downwardly into a rectangular opening 21 in base wall H.

Preferably, container 23 is made of a plastic material, and before use by insertion into housing I-I thru the door, is sealed at its upper end by a removable sealing strip (not shown) which holds the covering piston head in fixed position by securing the top of sleeve 25 to the top of the side wall of container 23, while the nipple 26 is scaled by a removable plastic cap. When a container 23 is to be inserted into the housing, the control disk 24 is rotated to bring plate 44 to its highest position, the sealing strip and cap of container 23 are removed, and the lower end of spring 23 is pushed upwardly so as to seat in the piston cap 26, nipple 26 is inserted into the outlet opening 2's, and upon release of the spring 43 the head or cap 2A is pressed downwardly to force the contents through nipple 26 against a valve and cut off plate now to be described.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the base i l of housing H is provided with a horizontally extending guideway formed of two oppositely disposed L- shaped ribs 23 which form between them a guide and retaining slot for the outwardly extending flanges 29 of a valve actuating bar 31) which carries a valve slot 3! in its upper face for the reception of a slidable valve plate 32. As shown in Fig. 5, the outer end of actuating bar 39 carries a recess 33 (whose base may be formed of open ribs with drainage opening or openings beneath) for the reception of a tooth brush end (as in Fig. 2), to push the bar 39 inwardly to open the valve plate 32.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the valve plate 32 is provided with a knife-like tongue 34 at its outer end and a coil closing-spring recess 35 at its opposite end for receiving one end of spring 36 whose opposite end seats in a similar recess in bracket foot F. Normally spring 36 holds plate in the closed position shown in Fig. 4, until pressure to the left on actuating bar 3% carries plate 32 to left as new described.

Referring now to Fig. 3, plate 32 carries a shoulder 37 (also shown in Fig. 4) at the base of tongue 3 3, and one leg 38 of a trip device rests against shoulder 3'! while another leg 39 extends rearwardly to coil around a pin All, which is carried by bar 38, and from the outer end of the coil, a leg 4i extends upwardly to ride on the lower face of L-shaped rib 28 until it is moved downwardly as it hits a trip cam 42 (inclined forwardly) and raises leg 36 of the trip device free from shoulder 3? against the retaining influence of an arm and transverse finger of a retaining spring as, the intermediate portion of which is coiled around pin 40 with the other arm fixed to actuating bar 3%.

The rear end of bar 36 is provided with a recess st for the reception of one end of an expansion coil spring 45, while bracket foot F carries a similar recess for the opposite end of spring 45 (best shown in Figs. 2 and 3). As bar 30 is pushed to the left in Fig. 2 by the end of a tooth brush T, it carries valve plate to the left until its sharp tongue clears the outlet 21 in base wall 5 i, and the pressure in container 23 forces a ribbon of tooth paste upon bristles of brush T, and slight further movement causes the cam 32 to release leg 38 of the trip device; at this time valve plate 32 is released, and spring 36 drives tongue 33 to the right to cut off the expressed ribbon of paste deposited upon the bristles. The tongue stop ii) ends the forward movement of the tongue, while rearward movement of bar 36 is stopped by stop 41, when stop finger #8, carried by bar 39, strikes stop 41; forward movement of bar 3% ends when finger 43 strikes stop 49, which is carried by base wall ll in a manner similar to stop ill but forwardly to provide an opposite limit of travel for bar 30. When pressure of brush T on the outer end of bar 39 is released, spring 45 drives bar 39 back to its starting limit for another dispensing operation.

Referring now to the modified form in Figs. 6 and '7, the general construction and operations previously described are retained, but the actuating bar and associated parts are altered. The actuating bar 5!! is shorter vertically and horizontally, but wider horizontally than bar 3Q (previously described) and has rotatably secured to its under face a rotary table R by a winged pivot screw 5i fitting into threaded bore 52 carried in the under face of bar to. The upper face is pro vided with a plurality of open top and open end pockets 53 forming individual recesses for reception of the end of a brush T, and between the inner ends of pockets 53 is a hub 5d carrying a small detent recess 55 between the side walls of the pockets near their inner ends. The under face of bar 56 carries a vertical bore 55: in which is mounted a spring pressed detent 5? which is adapted successively to press into one of the detent recesses 55 as table R is rotated upon its pivot screw 5! in either direction. The lower rim of table R carries 3. depending tab 53 beneath the outer end of each pocket 5'5 for appropriate indicia (initials or numbers) to indicate the pocket to which table R should be rotated for each individual using the dispenser. The bottom wall of the table R may be formed of open rib structure to afford ease of drainage and cleaning, while the whole table R may be easily removed for cleaning by simply removing wing screw 5 i.

It can be seen that with the construction and arrangement described, the use of the dispenser by several individuals will be free from the hazard of contamination by the brush of another, be cause each pocket is separated from all others, and each user has his own individual pocket.

In operation, the user merely rotates the table R until his appropriate tab 58 is brought to the front center position (shown in Fig. '7 with brush T inserted) at which the spring pressed detent 5'! drops into the appropriate detent recess 55, and holds table R and bar 58 rigidly together so that inward pressure of brush T on the end of the front pocket will carry the bar 55 to the left and, open the valve for dispensing a ribbon of tooth paste, as described in connection with Figs. 1-5.

While I have shown and described my preferred forms of construction, I do not wish to be limited to these precise forms, but wish to avail myself of all variations coming fairly within the spirit and. proper constructions of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a housing adapted to hold a container of dentifrice paste and having an outlet opening for cooperation with the dispensing opening of said container in conducting paste from said container and housing, means for applying pressure upon the paste in said container to urge said paste through the said outlet opening, valve means for controlling said outlet opening so as to preclude the escape of paste from said container when not in use but to allow the escape of paste upon voluntary actuation of said valve, and valve actuating means including a slidable member carrying a toothbrush guide recess to bring a toothbrush beneath said outlet opening when said toothbrush is pressed against said slidable member to actuate said valve means, said slidable member carrying a rotatable plate providing a plurality of toothbrush guide recesses movable into position to move said slidable member and one guide recess beneath said outlet opening when a toothbrush is pressed into said guide recess.

2. A device of the character described comprising a housing having dentifrice paste holding chamber therein and an outlet opening for said dentifrice paste, means for applying pressure upon paste in said container, valve means for controlling said outlet opening so as to preclude the escape of paste from said container when not in use but to allow the escape of paste upon voluntary actuation of said valve, and means for controlling said valve means including a member provided with a plurality of toothbrush guide recesses movable into one of said recesses to receive a predetermined quantity of said paste thereon from said outlet opening.

3. A device of the character described comprising a housing having a dentifrice holding chamber and an outlet opening therefrom, valve means for controlling said outlet opening so as to preclude the escape of paste from said container when not in use but to allow the escape of paste upon voluntary actuation of said valve, a movable member having a plurality of individual toothbrush guide recesses and adapted to be moved into position for each of said recesses to be in alignment with said outlet opening, and means for actuating said valve means. 1

4. A device of the character described comprising a housing having a dentifrice holding chamber and an outlet opening therefrom, valve means for controlling said outlet opening so as to preclude the escape of paste from said container when not in use but to allow the escape of paste upon voluntary actuation of said valve, a movable member having a plurality of individual toothbrush guide recesses and adapted to be moved into position for each of said recesses to be in alignment with said outlet opening, and means for actuating said valve means, said last mentioned means and said movable member being connected for interdependent movement by the pressure of a toothbrush into one of said recesses to receive a portion of the dentifrice contained in said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,601,467 Brownworth Sept. 28, 1926 2,096,259 Orihel Oct. 19, 1937 2,411,923 Kotraba Dec. 3, 1946 2,533,839 Robinson Dec. 12, 1950 2,542,678 Keefer Feb. 20, 1951 2,626,730 Gabler Jan. 27, 1953 2,634,026 Yuan Apr. 7, 1953 2,659,517 Reinhardt, Jr Nov. 17, 1953 

